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Brain Bugs: How the Brain’s Flaws Shape Our Lives Audiobook
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(3.05) - 479 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
A lively, surprising tour of our mental glitches and how they arise
With its trillions of connections, the human brain is more beautiful and complex than anything we could ever build, but it’s far from perfect: our memory is unreliable; we can’t multiply large sums in our heads; advertising manipulates our judgment; we tend to distrust people who are different from us; supernatural beliefs and superstitions are hard to shake; we prefer instant gratification to long-term gain; and what we presume to be rational decisions are often anything but. Drawing on striking examples and fascinating studies, neuroscientist Dean Buonomano illuminates the causes and consequences of these “bugs” in terms of the brain’s innermost workings and their evolutionary purposes. He then goes one step further, examining how our brains function—and malfunction—in the digital, predator-free, information-saturated, special-effects-addled world that we have built for ourselves. Along the way, Brain Bugs gives us the tools to hone our cognitive strengths while recognizing our inherent weaknesses.
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"This a captivating read about how our brains work, particularly the flaws. Have you ever recalled an event in the past and then others who were present swear that it happened differently? Each person has a vivid memory of the event . . . completely clear, no doubts . . . just like a video replay in the head? That is because our memories are actually created (and recreated each time we call the memory up) by our minds, which take into account our background knowledge, things we fill in to make sense of what we saw, comments and questions people have asked about the event. No matter how certain one is of a memory, none of us can truly know exactly what happened, but we aren't willing to question what seems so clear and evident to us. This is just one of several topics dealt with in the book. It's fascinating."
— Missmath144 (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Writing a book about the hardware and software flaws of the human brain is an ingenious idea, and Buonomano has fully delivered on its promise…Brain Bugs is a remarkably accessible and engaging introduction to the neuroscience of the human condition.”
— Sam Harris, New York Times bestselling author -
“Intriguing take on behavioral economics, marketing, and human foibles.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“In Brain Bugs, Dean Buonomano has brilliantly pulled off what few psychological scientists can do. In elegant and clear writing, he masterfully conveys the astonishing capability of the human mind, along with its flaws and limitations.”
— Elizabeth Loftus, distinguished professor at the University of California–Irvine, and author of Eyewitness Testimony -
“What a great book, filled with nuggets about how the brain works—and falters—and even some suggestions on how to put it to better use. Very enjoyable.”
— Joseph LeDoux, NYU neuroscientist and author of The Emotional Brain and Synaptic Self -
“William Hughes has a pleasant, slightly rough voice that puts the listener in mind of a professor. His friendly tones draw listeners in and focus their attention…A worthwhile audio experience.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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A Library Journal bestseller: Physiology
Brain Bugs Listener Reviews
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" Great book full of brain flaws and bugs that you wouldn't normally think of. "
— Trever, 2/14/2014 -
" Bran Bugs is an accessible mix of psychology and neuroscience that deals with the many ways our brains aren't as good as we wish they were. Buonomoano answers (to the best of the ability of current science) questions like: why is it so much easier to remember someone's profession than their name? Why do slanderous negative campaign ads work so well? Why is instant gratification so compelling? (more when I finish the book..) "
— Janet, 2/13/2014 -
" Excellent book, unlike many other books about the irrational mind this one actually explains why our brains are so glitch. "
— Kyle, 2/3/2014 -
" Popular explanations of neuropsychology experiments highlighting the maladaptations of our brains to 21st century life--wrongly assessing risk, playing blackjack, falling for deBeers diamond commercials, lacking impulse control mechanisms around candy, cooperating with ingroup members but persecuting outsiders, signing on for payday loans and accepting pretty much every advertising or propaganda ploy ever invented. "
— Margaret, 1/19/2014 -
" I love a good neuroscience book, but this one didn't do it for me - I gave up halfway through. The writing style grated on my nerves. I wish the author had focused less on being funny and more on presenting the information clearly with good examples. "
— Jayme, 1/16/2014 -
" This was a very interesting and relatively technical discussion on several different types of brain functions/decision patterns and what is the likely neuroscientific explanation for these occurances. While the title led me to think it would cover more of the 'glitches' in thinking that are revealed in the modern world, this book actually took more of the angle that 'glitches' were more of the brain functioning as it was evolutionarily designed and not as one would anticipate in the modern developed world of marketing, news reports, etc. Enjoyable non-the-less and certainly written by a knowledgeable scientist in the field. "
— Beth, 1/12/2014 -
" An excellent overview of the quirks of neurology that make our lives interesting and annoying. Phantom libs, religion, etc all quirks of evolution. "
— Adam, 1/7/2014 -
" Chock full of interesting facts on the brain, too bad the writing was dry. "
— Nancy, 1/3/2014 -
" Cool stuff. This book explained why I have to make to do lists to remind me to make to do lists. And a bunch of other questions I had about why I am the way I am. "
— Sara, 11/23/2013 -
" It probably helps to know how advertisers knowingly manipulate our buying habits, but it's equally disturbing to know that our brain responds without a lot of input from us. "
— Jeanne, 11/20/2013 -
" fantastic and insightful look at the flaws of that 5 pound thing on our shoulders "
— Tai, 11/12/2013 -
" Looks like it's right up my alley "
— Jenny, 10/30/2013 -
" A little technical at times, but lots of fascinating observations about how are brains are poorly evolved for the modern world. "
— Ed, 3/20/2013 -
" It was okay, but a lot of it I had learned before. "
— Lauren, 2/8/2013 -
" Really great read. It is very interesting reading about the little "bugs" in our brains. Despite thousands of years of evolution, and technology to even further help us, there are still fundamental things that our brains do that we don't even realize. "
— Jeff, 2/1/2013 -
" Finished this a while ago so the details are fuzzy, but I found this educational and entertaining. "
— C.interruptus, 11/15/2012 -
" Some really interesting ideas in this book! "
— Ivan, 10/24/2012 -
" Fascinating :) If you have ever wondered why we fall for stupid marketing ploys, then read this book. Our daily life has changed faster then our bodies and brains can adapt leaving us with 'bugs in the software'. "
— Thimbleberry, 8/29/2012 -
" Really great book that gave me insight into how the evolution of our brains effects our behavior today. I was fascinated and amazed. "
— Barbara, 7/26/2012 -
" A quick read/listen about both neurophysiology and psychology. Quite interesting stuff throughout though a little topical and not much I had not heard before elsewhere. Still, it was a great collection well worth the time. "
— Terri, 7/15/2012 -
" The book helped me understand the authors perspective on how our operates the way it does. Too bad it was an unexpectedly short book. "
— Oric, 5/9/2012 -
" retunred to library- scanned much if it. Very basic stuff. Not life changing. "
— Carroll, 3/22/2012 -
" An excellent overview of the quirks of neurology that make our lives interesting and annoying. Phantom libs, religion, etc all quirks of evolution. "
— Adam, 9/30/2011 -
" Fitting companion for understanding political hype run rampant. Goes well with "Sacred Canopy". "
— Bill, 9/5/2011 -
" Excellent book, unlike many other books about the irrational mind this one actually explains why our brains are so glitch. "
— Kyle, 8/2/2011 -
" Some really interesting ideas in this book! "
— Ivan, 7/24/2011 -
" skimmed parts, read most of it. About average for pop science, which is to say, wildly uneven, depending on the chapter's subject matter. The chapters on fear and advertising were quite good; the chapter on the supernatural really wasn't. "
— sage, 7/11/2011
About Dean Buonomano
Dean Buonomano is a professor in the Departments of Neurobiology and Psychology and the Brain Research Institute at UCLA. He lives in Los Angeles.
About William Hughes
William Hughes is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator. A professor of political science at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon, he received his doctorate in American politics from the University of California at Davis. He has done voice-over work for radio and film and is also an accomplished jazz guitarist.